Temperature-indicating device for internal-combustion engines.



w. s. SAUNDERS. TEMPERATURE INDICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG- I2. I9I4.

1,213,273. Pate nted Jan. 23,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

by Atty.

% gljven tor:

W S. SAUNDERS. TEMPERATURE INDICATING DEVICE 'FOR INTERNAL comm IONENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED Ami 12.19153.

Patmted Jan. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

flvenfor:

UN TED STATES WALTER s. seunnnnsor wns'irrnnn, new senses.

TEMPERATURE-INDICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAIh-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application filed August 12, 1914. Seiiiil No. 856,339.

'dicating devices or means forindicating the temperature of the coolingcooling systems of internal gines; and particularly to dicating devicesused in liquid inliquid combustion entemperature inconnection withliquid cooling systems in which the engine vide means for tureindicating means;

at all times be readily particularly and V merated in view, my

15 cooled by a liquid which flows through a jacketsurrounding theworking cylinder or cylinders, which liquid is then cooled as it flowsthrough a radiator connected with the jacket by means of suitableconduits, and finally returns to the jacket, the cooling liquid beingthus continuously circulated through the elements referred to andalternately heated and cooled.

The objects of my invention are to proof the cooling liquid at all timesand irrespective of whetherthe temperature of said liquid is below or ashigh as its boiling point; to provide means for indicating thetemperature of the cooling liquid characterized by the fact that aportion of the; cooling liquid is made to flow past and to come intodirect contact with the temperato' provide means for indicating thetemperature of the cooling liquid which means may be located at adistance from the cooling system and eiigine, and in a position suchthat it may seen by the operator of the engine; to provide means forindicating the temperature of the cooling liquid which will be simple inconstruction and effective for the purpose for which it is designed. andwhich may be easily and readily applied to existing types of coolingsys-- tems; and to provide such other improyements in and relating totemperature indicating means for liquid cooling systems of internalcombustion engines as are more at length hereinafter re ferred to.

With the objects of invention above enuinvention consists in theimproved temperature indicating means indicating the temperature thefigure referred for-liquid cooling systems of internal combustionengines illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in thefollowing" specification, and particularly claimed, and in suchvariations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to thoseskilledin the artto which my-invention relates.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application andwherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated, andwherein the same reference numerals are employed to designate the sameparts inthe several views, Figure l is a view partly in side elevationand partly in'sectiou illustrating in a conventional manner a commontype of liquid cooling system for internal combustion engines, with myimproved temperature inclieating device applied thereto; Figs. 2 and 3are news in side elevation illustrating conventionally other types ofliquid cooling systems, with my invention applied thereto in t ariousways; Fig. is a plan view showing a thermometer casing forming a part ofmy improved temperature indicating device; Fig. 5 is a view showing asection of the same upon a central vertical plane indicated by the line6 (3. Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is,a view showing a section of the'same uponhorizontal planes indicated by the broken line '3. i', Fig. Fig. 7 is aview showing a section of the same upon a vertical transverse planeindicated by the line 8, 8, Fig. 5; and, Fig. 8 is a view showing asection upon a vertical transverse plane indicated by the line 9, QJl'ig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1. the referencenumeral 11 designates the working cylinders of a multiple cylinderinternal combustion engine, 12 the base or crank case. thereof. 1 ajacket common to all the cylinders and through which a cooling liquid ismade to flow to cool the cylinders. ll a radiator for cooling thecooling liquid. 15 a conduit connecting the jacket with the upper end ofthe radiator. and 16 a conduit leading from the lower end of theradiator to a circulating pump 17 which discharges the cooled coolingliquid through conduits 18 to the jacket;

all these elements being parts at a common and wellknown form or type ofcirculating liquid cooling system for internal combus tion engines andsaid elements being shown in a more or less conventional manner inPatented Jan. 23, 1917. I

The reference conduit-v l ,icli 1 because the fact tout o part of? thecooling liquid is diverted from the circulating tern above tn; andmodels flow through it, the ends of which conduit communicate witlrtneliquid cooling system at two points st which the temperature or thecooling liquid difier widely, the inlet end of said conduit being shownas connected with the conduit, 15 at which the cooling liquid is at ornear its highest temperature, while the discbarge'end of id conduitisshown as connected with the inlet side of the pump 17 at which thecooling liquid is at or near itslowest temper-slur This pump isoperected from the engine in any way and, when the system a whole inuse, a port of the cooling Water at or nesr. its maximum temperature iswithdrawn from the cooling system at the conduit and flows downwerdthrou h the shunt conduit 19 and is finallyreturned n the stream ofcooling liquid as itentcrs soc pump; this action being due in port tothe actionroi the pump and in pure so tne tendency of the liquid-in saidshunt conduit to flow downward as it v becomes cooler due to radiationand loss of best tlirouglitbe wall of the conduit, which is commonlymade from thin metal tubing and through which the beat is dissipatedquite rapidl reference numeral 20 designates s I hollow casing pro idedwith orcnr'rying a tempcmeure indicating instrument and wlncli casing isincluded in the shuntcon dull. l9 stud through which the liquid flowingin arid conduit Hm sztidcondult being inected with the casing by anysuitable "rectors or unions shown at 21 and having 1 n-ld outletpassages arranged ongsiue one another and which pee-sages communicatewith on internal chamber 24.

The lowest portion oi said outlet passage is at about the some level asthe upper wall of srid chamber, and said outlcv passage is preferablyinclined for a part of its length, as shown at in order to secure avbetter circnlationrof the c oling liquid within the" chamber; and inorder to insure that the temperature indicating instrument shall be.submerged at all times in the liquid i-n ssid cnsrnln;a and to avoid airpockets in said chamber. The casing 20 is provided with a flange 28whereby it may be conveniently secured to the slash r instruinent board2'? of an automobile, or to an cquivslcntsupport if engine is used for epurpose other than to drive on automobile, the temperature indicatinginstrument carried by said casing g inns n we in soon e por tion in :eiced ly one nlteunss hole in the dash or instrument board; as will beunderstood; from which it follows that improved temperature indicatingdevice may be installed at a minimum of trouble und'oxpense, it beingmerely necessary to provide a single hole in tlie dash or instrumentboard, secure the casing in place, pro-' vide openings in thecirculating system for receiving the ends of the shunt conduit, and toconnect the sections of the shunt conduit with the circulating systemand with the casing 20 as hereinbcfore explained.

The water level in the conduit 15 stands at about the line a, b, Fig. 1,when theengins is in operation, while when the engine is at rest thelevelof the liquid is commonly lower and depends upon the amount ofliquid in the system, whichliquid then assumes a uniform levelthroughout the sys: tern, in most cases no valves are employed in anyport of the system as a whole. The upper end of the conduit 19 isconnected with the conduit '15 at a point below the lower edge '28 ofthe discharge end of said conduit, which conduit overflows into theradiator and whiclrlower edge obviously determines the water, level inthe conduit when the engine is in operation; it being understood thatthe level of the water in the type of radiator contemplated in Fig. 1may fall below the level indicated by the line a, b, as the liquidevaporates, or is otherwise lost, as by leaking from the system. Ittherefore follows that theinlet end of the shuntv conduit 19 will bealways submerged when the engine'is in operation, and that air can underno circumstances enter said conduit and interfere with the operation ofthe circulating pump 17 thepump being always nrimcd so long as there isany cooling liquid Bowing through tlae conduit 15. y

The tempereturc of the liquid within the chamber 24- end, consequently,of the liquid flowing in the shunt conduit may be indirated by means oflany suitable temperature indicating or measuring instrument such, forexample, as a, thermostat,thermometer, or equivalent device. I have,however, shown a thermometer 29 as employed for this purpose, the someextending into the chamber so that the liquid flowing through the shuntconduit flows past and comes into direct contsct'with, the bulb thereof,the

be removed to improper combustible mixture, or to an improper operationof the cooling system or some one or more of its component parts, or

due to any cause whatever, such excessive heating will result in animmediate rise of temperature in the liquid flowing in the shunt conduitand will be at once indicated by the thermometer or other temperatureincating directly with the jacket of the engine,

which also a desirable expedient in some cases. The inlet end oftheshunt conduit is submerged in the scheme illustrated in this figurethe same as in the scheme shown in Fig. 1, and as should always be thecase in order to prevent air from entering the shunt conduit when thetemperature indicating device is in use.

In Fig. 3 I have shown my invention as used in connection with an enginethe cylinders of which are provided with separate jackets 34, and theshunt conduit 35 as having branches 36 leading into each jacket in orderthat liquid may flow from each jacket through the said conduit; theconduits 3T, 38 connecting the jackets with the radiator having separatebranches communicating with each separate jacket, as shown.

\Vhile I have illustrated my invention as applied'to the cooling systemof an engine assumed to be used to-propel an automobile or likeself-propelled vehicle, the same may obviously be used in connectionwith stationary, marine, or other engines, as my inven-- tion is capableof use with and as forming a part of the cooling system of all types andkinds of engines and similar devices in which a cooling liquid isemployed to cool the working cylinder;irrespective of the use to whichthe engine is put.

dicating instrument employed, and the cause of such overheating may beascertained and the dilliculty remedied before the engine has becomeinjured. Furthermore, the temperature of the liquid flowing in the shuntconduit is an indication of whether or not the engine is operating at ornear its highest efficiency, and the temperature in the chamber 24, orthe reading of the temperature indicating instrument employed,corresponding with the bestand most efficient operlet end of the shuntconduit because of slight losses of heat due to radiation throughthewall of the conduit.

It therefore follows that should the workation of the engine having beenascertained by (XPtllllltlit or from accessible data, the reading of theten'iperatureindicating or measuring instrin'nent will indicate whetheror not the temperature is at or near that associated with maximumefficiency, and, if

the engine is operating either too hot or too cold, steps may be takento so adjust and regulate the engine, carbureter, cooling system, orother device concerned with the operation thereof as to cause the engineto operate at or near the temperature at which it operates with thegreatest eliiciencyn Having thus described and explained my invention. Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In combination with a liquid coolingsys tem for internal combustionengines includ ing a cooling jacket, a -adiator, two conduits wherebysaid jacket and. radiator are placed in communication with one another,anda pump associated with one of said conduits for causing the liquid inthe system t9 eirculate; a shunt conduit through Whlcll a,

is caused by said pump to circulate fr0m a higher to a lower level ofsaid system.-

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specification in thepresencepf two subscribing witnesses.-

' WALTER S. SAUNDERS.

Witnesses R. N. FLINT, H. L. CADMUS.

